Cong accuses SP of failure to control riots, attacks Amit Shah

New Delhi: Accusing Samajwadi Party of "failure" to control the Muzaffarnagar communal flare-up, Congress on Wednesday sought to bring into firing line Amit Shah, a key aide of Narendra Modi for instigating the violence.

The party ruled out imposition of President`s rule in the state, a demand voiced by BJP, BSP and RLD in the wake of the violence.

"We have to see the person who has been made in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, who is an expert in such things. The Judicial Commission going into the violence should go into this aspect as well", party spokesman Meem rpt Meem Afzal told reporters.

Afzal said this without directly mentioning BJP or Amit Shah who has been made the party general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh as part of Modi`s "Mission 2014" Lok Sabha polls.

Rejecting BJP allegation that there was a nexus between Congress and SP over the issue, he said "we have not given a clean chit to SP in the riots. There has been negligience. SP cannot absolve itself of any responsibility....."

"If 50 persons have been killed in the riots, then definitely there is failure in giving protection. Giving protection is the responsibility of the government. No state government can evade this responsibility."

Maintaining that Congress was against the politics of riots, he said "what is happening in Muzaffarnagar is an attempt to divide the political force in western U P where both groups (Jats and Muslims) have been together so far".

A senior Congress leader charged the riots was a SP conspiracy to marginalise Ajit Singh`s RLD which has a major support base in western UP.

Congress` comments in the backdrop of the political blamegame over the violence. While UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has alleged a "political conspiracy" was behind the riots which were aimed at destabilising his government, rivals BJP, BSP and RLD have accused SP of trying to advance its political interests by polarising voters.